San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-28
HE SALOON IN PoLITIcs.

The agitation OF the prohibtory
amendment has brought out In uneX-
pected quarters very decided and
general opposition to the saloon in poll
tics. The columns Of the city press OF
all states sTe open TO discussions and
opinions on this subject. A recent
issue Of Public Opinion" Published ST
Washington And New Yorks, gives 8
very exhaustive consensus Of public
opinion and the gisI Of that
opinion IL unanimously 10 favor OF
dethroning the 50 con IN politics. This
opinion is not confined to any class. or
to any party. AL journals. irdiscrimin-
stely- democratic, republican, labor, All
take the same view Of the case, and
many Of the leading Wholesale liquor
men are Of the same opinion. Among
the journals taking this ground against
saloon influence in politics may be
mentioned the Providence journal,
Philadelphia Record. New York Mail
and Express, New York World, Pitts
burg Dispatch, Cleveland Leader, Bos-
ton Journal, Minneapolis Evening JOurn-
al, New York Star, ChicogO Inter
Ocean etc. None Of these journals
can be written down as prohibition.
Without exception they are high license
in sentiment, anti-prohibition in policy,
and advocate only the necessary restric-
ton. The most significant utterance on
this whole subject comes from ID. G.
Keller, In letter accompanying his
resignation of the presidency of the
Liquor League of Pennsylvania. He
says that he has found himself ham
pered In maintaining the organization
for the protection Of the legal rights Of
those engaged In this traffic by an ele
ment In the league -"setting the laws at
defiance, whose disgrSceful efforts were
simply arousing public sentiment
against our organization" II is this
fact as much as any other that is a. the
bottom Of this prohibition crusade move
ment. Carroll himself, In his Mondays
speech at Houston, said that the "cardl-
nal objection" to the liquor traffic was
on account Of its potency in political
affairs. While this is a complete give
away for the apostle OF Texas prOhibi-
tion, II does show none the less OOnClu-
sively that the public mind does antago.
niZe domination of saloon influence In
politics, else DR.. Carroll would not have
so pOintedly spoken, or laid himsel LA
BILE to adverse criticism by so saying.
The better element Of liquor dealers do
not endorse the utter disregard OF law
which so many OF the keepers Of low
down saloons exhibit. There are many
saloon keepers in this city who are law
abiding always, who run their business
according to the law 10 such cases made
and provided, who do not In any sense
indorse the violations Of law committed
and permitted in other saloons. These
men would gladly see the law enforced
Ii would rid them Of the :approbrium
that attaches to their business in the
minds of SO many, and place the busi
ness on the same footing as any other
The objections to saloon influence II
politics arise from the GLASS Legislation
that is agitated continually for anC
against saloons. Men do not cODgregat t,
In dry goods houses, hardware stores
livery stables and other places to lay pc
llticsl wires and plan political move
ments. They do such things In saloons
no doubt more because they meet Their,
free from the cares OF business than oil
any other account. All the same. the
saloon grows to become 3 debating
school where political issues are con-
sidered and political actions planned
and ward politics cut and dried. A.
these saloons are themselves subjects o
special regulation by virtue Of the bust
ness, the social life 1t ministers to ant
the political issues it raises are matter
OF public concern. Themselves the sui
jeets Of legal restrictions, and so man!
OF them law defying, the public ha
come to consider It unwise that thOst